Shoe-tree.



E. J. KOBERT.

SHOE TREE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 7, 1912.`

n 1,062, 1 64 Patented May 20,1913.

m 45w nfl/Coz l 55313 bi HOzM/ 1 rrnn s'rrns EDWARD J'. KOBERT, OF WOODSIDE, NEW YORK.

SHOE-TREE.

incarica.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1913.

Application filed May 7, 1912. Seria1No.\695,593.

The object of this invention is to pro vide a shoe-tree which is simple in construction, and operation, and which may be more easily and conveniently inserted into a shoe and operated, than other devices of this class as usually constructed, and with these and other objects in view the invention consists in a device of the class specified constructed as hereinafter described and claimed. K

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my invention are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a shoe and showing my improved shoe-tree, part of the construction being in section :-A Fig. 2 a plan view of the shoe-tree with a part shown in section, and Fig. 3 a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

In the practice of my invention I provide a heel block 1, said block being provided with a straight front face 2 and the back and side-surfaces thereof being adapted to fit the back and side portions of the heel part of the shoe, and the block 1 is preferably provided in the side and back walls thereof with grooves 3, and is also preferably provided on the bottom thereof with knobs 4, this construction being designed to permit of the circulation of air around and beneath said block when the shoe-tree is in use. The block 1 is also provided cent-rally of the front face thereof with a recess 5 in which is pivoted a bar 6 composed of two parallel side members 7 separated by blocks 8 at the front and rear ends thereof so as to provide a narrow space 9 between the parallel side members 7.

Connected with the front end of the bar 6 and midway thereof are yoke-shaped hangers 10 and 11 in the bottom portion of which is a sliding bar 12 similar in form to the side members 7 of the bar 6, and the bar 12 is provided in the top thereof with ratchet teeth 13, and I also provide a toe block 14 adapted to fit in the toe portion of the shoe and provided in its rear face with a recess 15 in which` the front end of the bar 12 'is pivoted, as shown at 16, and saidtoe block is also 'preferably provided with longitudinal grooves 17 to permit of the free circulation ofair in the toe of the shoe when the tree is in use.

Pivoted between the rear 'end portions o f Athe side members 7 of the bar 6 is a hand lever 18. provided with a lhandle 19, and the lever 18 is provided, in the construction shown, with forwardly directed jaws 20 be tween which is pivoted a pawl 21 which operates between the side members 7 of the bar 6 and in the space 9 and in connection with the ratchet teeth 13 in the bar 12.

Pivoted to the lever 18 abovethepawl 21 on the bar 6, and in the operation of this device, it is inserted into the shoe with the bar 12 in its rearmost position. The dog 22 is then raised by means of a handle 26, or in any other way, and the lever 18 is swung forwardly and backwardly. In this ma-y nipulation of the lever 18 the pawl 21 operates in connection with the teeth 13 of the bar 12 to force the toe piece` 14 into the toe portion of the shoe, and the dog 22 will operate to hold said toe piece in proper position in the shoe. In this operation the shoe may be thoroughly stretched and maintained in proper form any desired length of time by leaving the tree therein, and when it is desired to remo-ve the tree from the shoe, the dog 22 is raised and the lever 18 moved backwardly and the pawl 21 raised and the tree may then be removed from the shoe, as will be readily understood.

The toe piece 14 may be of any desired length and it will be understood that my improved shoe tree may be made of any preferred dimensions, and changes in and modifications of the construction herein described may be made, within the scopeof the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. A shoe-tree comprising a heel block and a toe block, a bar pivoted in the front face of the heel block and composed of separate parallel side members, a bar pivoted in the toe block and slidably connected with the bottom of the first named bar and provided in its top edge with ratchet teeth, a lever pivoted in the rear en d portion of the bar that is pivoted in the heel block, a pawl connected with said lever and operating in connection with said ratchet teeth and adapted to force the toe block forwardly whenh the lever is swung forwardly, and means for holding said lever in its foremost position.

2. A shoe-tree comprising a heel block and a toe block, a bar pivoted in the front face of the heel block and composed of parallel side members, a bar pivoted in the toe block and slidably connected with the rst named bar and provided with ratchet teeth,V a lever pivoted in the rear end portion of the bar that is pivoted in the heel block, a pawl connected with said lever and operating in connection with said ratchet teeth and adapted to force the toe block forwardly when the lever is swung forwardly, and

means acting upon the lever for holding said y toe block in its foremost position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 6th day of May 1912.

EDWARD J. KOBERT. f

Witnesses:

C. MULREANY, S. ANDREWS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents. Washington, D. C. 

